Anxious to escape the confines of Regelence society, if only for a little while, Prince Payton Townsend poses as an admiral’s aide to further investigate a dangerous conspiracy. Payton plans only to use his computer skills to help navigate the tangled web of mystery and deceit on planet Englor, then return home, but he finds himself drawn to the charismatic Colonel Simon Hollister.

Simon, however, is no mere soldier—he is heir to the throne of Englor, and his life is meticulously planned to include a bride and heir. Unlike Regelence, the Regency society on Englor disapproves of same-sex relationships, and Payton and Simon’s attraction plays out in a daring secret affair, one Simon never expected would grow into love.

Risking scandal and certain ruin if they are discovered, Payton and Simon uncover more about a common enemy and a deadly plot that imperils both their worlds. But in this game of interplanetary intrigue, love might be the ultimate casualty…

Second Edition; First Edition published by Samhain Publishing Ltd., November 2008.

Premise of the book is Prince Payton accompanies Admiral Nathanial (Nate) to Englor under the pretense of inspecting the joint Marine forces, while in fact, they are trying to get to the bottom of why there were Englor spies on Regelence and what were they looking for? Payton’s role as the Admiral’s aide is to hack into the Englorian computer system and find evidence of any kind of plot. What Payton didn’t expect was to fall in love with the one man he can’t have, on a planet that despises same-sex marriages.

You could possibly get by without reading book one, enough is explained, but book one does set the premise and characters for The Englor Affiar.

My review of My Fair Captain was strained at best. And I admit, I had some trepidation’s picking up book #2. However, I found The Englor Affair had a better plot, incorporated more “Regency”, and the characters were more well-rounded. Englor Affair added a fair amount of world building that was lacking in My Fair Captain, which also greatly improved the book.

That’s not to say this didn’t have its quirks. Let me expound on my main issues: for a 19-year-old who has been raised to be a royal, Payton’s constantly biting his lower lip seemed incongruous. I can see this trait happening once or twice, but it was all. the. time. Endearing? No. Annoying? Absolutely.

Sci-Regency. Regency. Englor Affair fared better in the nuances of “Regency” than My Fair Captain, but it could have done better. Fancy balls, cravats and riding horses is not enough. Regency demands the decorum of being announced, of standing and bowing or curtsying, of titles and politeness and all those little points of etiquette that could have elevated this book to be even more.

Which comes around to the casualness with which Simon, as King of Englor, was introduced to the King and King-Consort of Regelence, really tripped up the book for me. Regency, people, Regency.

And lastly, we have a Galaxy-sized Misunderstanding in this one. I confess this is one of my personal peeves – you might feel differently and that would be great. I despise Big Misunderstandings where one character runs away and we got that in spades. In this case, Payton seemed to be making these huge assumptions based on 12 hours of marriage, during a time of political upheaval, and only knowing the guy for a week. I resisted throwing my e-reader across the airplane in annoyance.

Lest I seem overly crabby, to recap – I liked the characters introduced in this book, that it was set on Englor instead of Regelence, the plot was more engaging, and I did enjoy how Payton hacked into everything. Book two has redeemed my experience from book one, and I see there is a blurb for book three forthcoming. I would read book three.

Advanced Review Copy

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Second book in the Sci-Regency series, picking up where book one left off as our characters attempt to disassemble a kidnapping plot and stolen schematics on a planet where same-sex couples are loathed.

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I have been a voracious reader from the time I learned how to read. My Motto: “Never leave home without a book (or two or three).” Though once I learned how to knit that became “Never leave home without a book (or two or three) AND a knitting project.”

A long-time fan of science fiction, I’ve since discovered mystery/suspense/thrillers and m/m romance. I love stories that span the universe, paranormal, urban fantasy, mystery, comedy; stories with veterinarian’s (yay! animals!) or a men in uniform, a splash of BDSM or a threesome can be fun, and of course, happy ever afters. IF that’s not a run-on sentence, I don’t know what is…

I’m not a fan of historical, horror, sports, plots with children, and New Adult/Young Adult.